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NBA Grind Down: Thursday, January 14th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-01-15 18:04:34

Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of today’s NBA action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.

Vegas lines are broken down to show projected team totals, to give you an idea of who is favored to win, and often more importantly, how many points they’re expected to score. We also provide pace numbers, so you can spot a game that might have a few extra possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.

We also provide position-by-position matchup rankings for every team, to give you an idea of the players who will be in better situations to succeed. Using Defense versus Position data, every projected starter is listed along with his opponent’s rank in points allowed to players of his position. These color-coded charts will help you spot the best matchups of the night at a glance.

Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

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Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic – 3:00 PM

Toronto Raptors Orlando Magic
torontonba Vegas Total 192.5 orlandonba Vegas Total 192.5
Vegas Sprd -4.0 Vegas Sprd 4.0
Team Proj. 98.3 Team Proj. 94.3
Team Pace 95.70 Team Pace 96.30
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Kyle Lowry DeMar DeRozan James Johnson Luis Scola Jonas Valanciunas Proj. Starter Victor Oladipo Evan Fournier Tobias Harris Channing Frye Nikola Vucevic
Opp. Season 18 8 12 12 10 Opp. Season 3 12 5 11 15
Last 3 Weeks 27 5 9 22 17 Last 3 Weeks 22 6 5 17 11

Toronto Raptors

Record: 24-15 — Road: 13-9 — Last 10: 7-3

The Raptors have won seven of their last ten games and are now 24-15 on the season. We get a special treat today, as this game tips off at 3:00 ET in London. The Magic have been solid defensively this season, which could help explain why the Raptors have such a low team total at only 98.3 points.

The Magic are ranked at or above the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. DeMarre Carroll remains out for Toronto. James Johnson, Terrence Ross, and Cory Joseph will all continue to see extended action in his absence.

Elite Plays

Kyle Lowry

Lowry has been in terrific form recently, averaging 44 fantasy points in his last five games. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Magic, who continue to fall in the DvP rankings against point guards. Over the last three weeks, Orlando is ranked 27th against the position.

FD — $9,000 — PG
DK — $8,500 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 23.1 | Last Five Games: 22.5
Min/Game — Season: 36.1 | Last Five Games: 37.9
FP/Game — Season: 39.1 | Last Five Games: 44.0

Secondary Plays

DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan has the tougher matchup between he and Kyle Lowry, but he still deserves consideration today. Shooting guard is thin with only six games and DeRozan’s price has come down across the industry. He has also been in relatively good form, averaging 33.6 fantasy points in his last five games.

FD — $8,000 — SG
DK — $7,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 23.8
Min/Game — Season: 36.6 | Last Five Games: 36.8
FP/Game — Season: 34.5 | Last Five Games: 33.6

Jonas Valanciunas

Valanciunas is back from injury, back in the starting lineup, and back in the hearts of DFS players. Over his last five games, he is averaging 28.5 fantasy points per game. With Nikola Vucevic lining up opposite him today, big Val could crack the 30-minute mark if he can stay out of foul trouble.

FD — $6,100 — C
DK — $5,900 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 15.9 | Last Five Games: 15.4
Min/Game — Season: 26.7 | Last Five Games: 27.7
FP/Game — Season: 25.6 | Last Five Games: 28.5

Orlando Magic

Record: 20-18 — Home: 12-8 — Last 10: 4-6

The Magic have lost six of their last ten games, but are still two games above .500 on the season. They are listed as 4-point underdogs today against the Raptors in London. The Magic’s team total is set at only 94.3 points, which is the lowest of the 12 teams in action.

The Raptors have been excellent defensively this season, ranking 11th or better in all four of the defensive categories listed above. Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon are both expected to play today, which could cut into the minutes of Victor Oladipo. Oladipo is still projected to draw the start though, with Payton coming off the bench.

Elite Plays

Victor Oladipo

Even though Elfrid Payton is expected to play today, Oladipo is still an elite option at shooting guard. I always love when players that are listed as shooting guards end up starting as point guards because it allows us to roster more ball-handlers. Oladipo should still see 30+ minutes and we all know the type of upside that he provides.

FD — $6,000 — SG
DK — $7,100 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.1 | Last Five Games: 17.1
Min/Game — Season: 29.6 | Last Five Games: 32.7
FP/Game — Season: 26.6 | Last Five Games: 28.1

Secondary Plays

Nikola Vucevic

Vucevic’s price has come way down. I don’t mind considering him as an elite option on DraftKings at a price of only $7,100. Only a few weeks ago, he was in the high $7,000 to low $8,000 range. His matchup against Jonas Valanciunas isn’t great, but I like the discount and the fact that this game is expected to stay competitive.

FD — $7,600 — C
DK — $7,100 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 22.3 | Last Five Games: 23.8
Min/Game — Season: 30.6 | Last Five Games: 28.1
FP/Game — Season: 33.0 | Last Five Games: 28.2

Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM

Chicago Bulls Philadelphia 76ers
chicagonba Vegas Total 205.5 philadelphianba Vegas Total 205.5
Vegas Sprd -8.5 Vegas Sprd 8.5
Team Proj. 107.0 Team Proj. 98.5
Team Pace 99.20 Team Pace 99.70
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Derrick Rose Jimmy Butler Nikola Mirotic Taj Gibson Joakim Noah Proj. Starter Ishmael Smith Nik Stauskas Robert Covington Nerlens Noel Jahlil Okafor
Opp. Season 19 17 30 28 30 Opp. Season 28 10 25 17 26
Last 3 Weeks 16 28 26 11 30 Last 3 Weeks 29 16 29 20 15

Chicago Bulls

Record: 22-15 — Road: 6-9 — Last 10: 6-4

The Bulls have won six of their last ten games and are now 22-15 overall. They have struggled a bit on the road, but draw an easy matchup tonight against the Sixers. The Bulls are projected to score 107 points tonight, which is the second highest team total on the board.

The Sixers are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season. They are one of the only teams that is ranked in the bottom seven in terms of points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. Pau Gasol will not play tonight. He didn’t even travel with the team. Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are both game-time decisions. If they are forced to miss tonight’s game, we can realistically target 4-5 Bulls’ players tonight.

Elite Plays

Jimmy Butler

Butler is listed as a game-time decision tonight, but he doesn’t miss many games. If he is able to suit up, he would become an elite play with Pau Gasol out and possibly Derrick Rose out as well. Butler has been tremendous over his last five games, averaging 43.2 fantasy points. The Bulls are finally running their offense through him, as evidenced by his increased usage rate.

FD — $8,900 — SG
DK — $8,800 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.7 | Last Five Games: 24.3
Min/Game — Season: 38.0 | Last Five Games: 39.2
FP/Game — Season: 37.5 | Last Five Games: 43.2

Joakim Noah

With Pau Gasol out, Noah is expected to draw the start at center tonight. His numbers may not jump off the page at you, but he is basically averaging a fantasy point per minute this season. If he sees 30 minutes tonight, he should easily be able to reach and exceed value against this porous Sixers’ defense.

FD — $5,100 — C
DK — $5,100 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 11.9 | Last Five Games: 15.0
Min/Game — Season: 21.9 | Last Five Games: 16.9
FP/Game — Season: 22.0 | Last Five Games: 15.6

Taj Gibson

Anytime one of the Bulls’ big men are out, I love playing Gibson. His fantasy value is directly correlated with his playing time and any time we can project him to see 30+ minutes, we should take note. It also doesn’t hurt that the Sixers allow more blocked shots than any other team in the NBA.

FD — $4,700 — PF
DK — $5,600 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 11.6 | Last Five Games: 9.5
Min/Game — Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 27.3
FP/Game — Season: 19.8 | Last Five Games: 19.7

Nikola Mirotic

Four elite plays on the Bulls may seem excessive, but it won’t once you are finished reading the Grind Down. There are a lot of bad fantasy matchups on the schedule tonight. Mirotic has been inconsistent, but he should see around 30 minutes against one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. This is a perfect game for Mirotic to get hot and light up the stat sheet.

FD — $5,600 — SF
DK — $5,900 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.1 | Last Five Games: 17.0
Min/Game — Season: 24.6 | Last Five Games: 30.8
FP/Game — Season: 22.4 | Last Five Games: 28.8

Secondary Plays

Aaron Brooks

If Derrick Rose is unable to suit up tonight, Brooks would become the premier value play in tonight’s five-game slate. He hasn’t done much off the bench, but has made the most of his opportunity when Rose is out of the lineup. Brooks would also see a boost if Jimmy Butler was also ruled out.

FD — $3,700 — PG
DK — $4,500 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.9 | Last Five Games: 19.8
Min/Game — Season: 16.4 | Last Five Games: 12.5
FP/Game — Season: 14.4 | Last Five Games: 10.1

Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 4-36 — Home: 2-15 — Last 10: 3-7

The Sixers have won three of their last ten games, but are still only 4-36 on the season. They draw a tough matchup tonight against the Bulls at home. The Sixers are listed as 8.5-point underdogs. The good news is that they are projected to score 98.5 points, which is 5.6 points higher than their average points scored per game.

The Bulls haven’t been awful defensively this season, but have somehow given up a ton of fantasy points. It could have something to do with all of the overtime games that they have been involved in. Jerami Grant is expected to miss tonight’s game. His absence may open a few more minutes for the likes of Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington.

Elite Plays

Ishmael Smith

Smith is comfortable in Philadelphia. He said that in an interview the other day, but you can just tell by watching him on the floor. While I do think he throws a few too many lobs to Nerlens Noel, I won’t complain as long as he continues to produce at a high level. He is one of my favorite plays on the board, as the Bulls have allowed the third most fantasy points to point guards this season.

FD — $6,600 — PG
DK — $7,000 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.1 | Last Five Games: 24.9
Min/Game — Season: 24.7 | Last Five Games: 30.4
FP/Game — Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 33.9

Secondary Plays

Nerlens Noel

I would love to take Noel tonight against a short-handed Bulls’ frontcourt, but it’s hard to list him as an elite play while he is continuously playing less than 30 minutes per game. His production has gone up ever since Ish Smith joined the team, but he is a little expensive for a player that is only averaging 29 minutes in his last five games.

FD — $6,300 — PF
DK — $6,700 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.2 | Last Five Games: 11.6
Min/Game — Season: 29.3 | Last Five Games: 28.9
FP/Game — Season: 25.8 | Last Five Games: 27.8

Robert Covington

Covington has to be one of the streakiest fantasy players in the NBA. Do you remember a while back when he was putting up 40+ fantasy points every night. I believe his price got up into the $7,000 range. He could be a nice value play tonight if he ends up drawing the start for the injured Jerami Grant.

FD — $4,200 — SF
DK — $4,400 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 16.9 | Last Five Games: 13.7
Min/Game — Season: 25.3 | Last Five Games: 15.7
FP/Game — Season: 21.3 | Last Five Games: 10.1

Detroit Pistons at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM

Detroit Pistons Memphis Grizzlies
detroitnba Vegas Total 192.0 memphisnba Vegas Total 192.0
Vegas Sprd 1.0 Vegas Sprd -1.0
Team Proj. 95.5 Team Proj. 96.5
Team Pace 97.80 Team Pace 95.90
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Reggie Jackson Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Ersan Ilyasova Andre Drummond Proj. Starter Mario Chalmers Courtney Lee Tony Allen Jeff Green Marc Gasol
Opp. Season 11 5 22 10 5 Opp. Season 9 11 2 22 8
Last 3 Weeks 6 8 24 7 1 Last 3 Weeks 12 11 4 13 8

Detroit Pistons

Record: 21-17 — Road: 8-11 — Last 10: 5-5

The Pistons have won five of their last ten games and have improved to 21-17 on the season. Tonight they head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies in what should be a defensive battle. The Pistons are only projected to score 95.5 points. Not only is that the third lowest team total on the board, but it is also 5.7 points lower than their average points scored per game.

The Grizzlies have been much better defensively over the last month of play. They are now ranked eighth in points allowed per game and ninth in fantasy points allowed per game. As you can see from the Pistons’ team total, Vegas is expecting a low scoring game tonight. I wouldn’t mind doing a complete fade of Detroit in this one.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Andre Drummond

Drummond has been quiet over his last five games, but makes for a nice tournament play tonight. His ownership level will be down and he has had decent success against Marc Gasol in the past (12 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in five meetings).

FD — $8,900 — C
DK — $8,700 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.9 | Last Five Games: 20.0
Min/Game — Season: 34.3 | Last Five Games: 29.4
FP/Game — Season: 42.2 | Last Five Games: 35.4

Marcus Morris

Morris is a decent mid-range small forward option. While we don’t want to place too much emphasis on the DvP for shooting guards and small forwards (since the two are interchangeable), the Grizzlies are ranked 22nd against small forwards this season.

FD — $4,900 — SF
DK — $5,200 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 15.7 | Last Five Games: 13.0
Min/Game — Season: 36.3 | Last Five Games: 32.9
FP/Game — Season: 24.0 | Last Five Games: 16.6

Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 21-19 — Home: 13-7 — Last 10: 5-5

The Grizzlies have won five of their last ten games and are 21-19 on the season. They have a nice record at home at 13-7. Tonight they host the Pistons in what is expected to be a low scoring game. The Grizzlies are projected to score 96.5 points, which is right around their average points scored per game.

The Pistons have been a top ten defensive team for most of the season. They are now ranked ninth or better in all four of the defensive categories listed above. The two main injuries to monitor here are Mike Conley and Matt Barnes. They are both listed as questionable for tonight’s game. If they are both active, it could be a good spot to fade the Grizzlies as well.

Elite Plays

Mario Chalmers

This pick hinges on the availability of Mike Conley. Chalmers has been terrific over his last five games, averaging 30.5 fantasy points in 34.8 minutes per contest. His price on DraftKings is a bit high, but if he draws another start, he is an easy plug and play on FanDuel.

FD — $5,200 — PG
DK — $6,300 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.1 | Last Five Games: 19.2
Min/Game — Season: 21.6 | Last Five Games: 34.8
FP/Game — Season: 19.4 | Last Five Games: 30.5

Tony Allen

This pick hinges on both Mike Conley and Matt Barnes. If one (or both) is forced out of action tonight, Allen would see a nice boost in minutes. He has quietly strung together a terrific five-game stretch, averaging 26 fantasy points in 31.7 minutes.

FD — $4,500 — SG
DK — $5,300 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.0 | Last Five Games: 12.8
Min/Game — Season: 23.6 | Last Five Games: 31.7
FP/Game — Season: 16.1 | Last Five Games: 26.0

Secondary Plays

Marc Gasol

It didn’t take long for Gasol’s price to creep back up. After an awful five-game stretch, he bounced back with a big fantasy outing against the Rockets. Tonight’s matchup against the Pistons is a difficult one, but look for the Grizzlies to funnel their offense through their big man if Mike Conley is out again.

FD — $7,400 — C
DK — $7,400 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.5 | Last Five Games: 20.0
Min/Game — Season: 34.8 | Last Five Games: 33.6
FP/Game — Season: 32.4 | Last Five Games: 25.7

Zach Randolph

Randolph has started the second half over Jeff Green in back-to-back games. While I would prefer to use Randolph if Matt Barnes is ruled out, he is in play even if Barnes is in the lineup. Over his last five games, Randolph is averaging 35.7 fantasy points.

FD — $6,600 — PF
DK — $6,600 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.9 | Last Five Games: 23.4
Min/Game — Season: 29.1 | Last Five Games: 31.0
FP/Game — Season: 26.5 | Last Five Games: 35.7

Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs – 8:00 PM

Cleveland Cavaliers San Antonio Spurs
clevelandnba Vegas Total 196.0 sanantonionba Vegas Total 196.0
Vegas Sprd 5.5 Vegas Sprd -5.5
Team Proj. 95.3 Team Proj. 100.8
Team Pace 95.00 Team Pace 95.90
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving J.R. Smith LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson Proj. Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Tim Duncan
Opp. Season 5 1 1 1 3 Opp. Season 16 9 4 3 1
Last 3 Weeks 1 1 3 1 13 Last 3 Weeks 19 10 11 9 2

Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 27-9 — Road: 12-8 — Last 10: 8-2

The Cavaliers have won eight of their last ten games, including an overtime thriller against the Mavericks the other night. They draw a tough matchup tonight against the Spurs in San Antonio. The Cavaliers are only projected to score 95.3 points, which is the second lowest team total on the board.

The Spurs have the best defense in the NBA. On the season, they are ranked first or second in all four of the defensive categories listed above. I’ve been avoiding players against the Spurs all season long and there is no reason to change that philosophy tonight. Not only do the Cavaliers have a poor matchup, but with Kyrie Irving back, there are only so many shots to go around.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

LeBron James

I’m not a big fan of Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving tonight, but wouldn’t mind taking a chance on LeBron. He has played well coming into tonight’s game and he could see upwards of 40 minutes in an important game against the Spurs. Dollar for dollar, there are better small forward options, but we can never count out James.

FD — $10,300 — SF
DK — $9,700 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.2 | Last Five Games: 25.1
Min/Game — Season: 35.9 | Last Five Games: 36.3
FP/Game — Season: 44.9 | Last Five Games: 48.7

Tristan Thompson

Thompson is cheap and should see minutes in the low-30’s tonight against the Spurs. The matchup isn’t great and he has somewhat of a capped upside, but he is a safe cash game option if you need to save at power forward.

FD — $4,500 — PF
DK — $4,900 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 10.1 | Last Five Games: 9.0
Min/Game — Season: 27.8 | Last Five Games: 31.3
FP/Game — Season: 21.0 | Last Five Games: 18.7

San Antonio Spurs

Record: 34-6 — Home: 22-0 — Last 10: 9-1

The Spurs have won nine of their last ten games and are looking to improve their home record to a perfect 23-0 tonight with a win over the Cavaliers. This should be the best game on the board to watch, but one of my least favorite for fantasy purposes. The Spurs are only projected to score 100.8 points, which is 3.1 points lower than their average points scored per game.

The Spurs may have the best defense in the NBA, but the Cavaliers are not far behind. On the season, they are ranked fifth or better in all five of the defensive categories listed above. The good news is that there aren’t many games during the regular season where we can project the Spurs’ starters to see a full complement of minutes. This is one of those rare occasions.

Elite Plays

Kawhi Leonard

Do you remember when the Spurs beat the Heat a couple of years ago in the NBA Finals? Do you remember who the MVP of the series was? That’s right, it was Leonard. He had a monster series on both ends of the floor. Many will see that his recent production is down, but all I see is that he is priced at a discount tonight.

FD — $7,700 — SF
DK — $8,100 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.3 | Last Five Games: 19.1
Min/Game — Season: 33.1 | Last Five Games: 31.0
FP/Game — Season: 37.1 | Last Five Games: 27.9

Secondary Plays

LaMarcus Aldridge

Aldridge has seen a boost in both usage and minutes over his last five games. That has obviously led to an increase in production as well. During that stretch, he is averaging 35 fantasy points per game. He is a little expensive on FanDuel, but very playable on DraftKings.

FD — $7,400 — PF
DK — $6,900 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.6 | Last Five Games: 23.2
Min/Game — Season: 29.8 | Last Five Games: 32.0
FP/Game — Season: 30.4 | Last Five Games: 35.0

Tony Parker

Parker has also played well recently, averaging 28.5 fantasy points in his last five games. He doesn’t draw the best matchup on the board, but there are very few times during the season when we can actually project him to play at least 30 minutes.

FD — $5,900 — PG
DK — $5,100 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.1 | Last Five Games: 23.3
Min/Game — Season: 27.1 | Last Five Games: 29.7
FP/Game — Season: 24.1 | Last Five Games: 28.5

Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz – 9:00 PM

Sacramento Kings Utah Jazz
sacramentonba Vegas Total 203.0 utahnba Vegas Total 203.0
Vegas Sprd 2.5 Vegas Sprd -2.5
Team Proj. 100.3 Team Proj. 102.8
Team Pace 102.10 Team Pace 93.40
Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters
DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C DvP Rks PG SG SF PF C
Proj. Starter Rajon Rondo Ben McLemore Rudy Gay Quincy Acy DeMarcus Cousins Proj. Starter Raul Neto Rodney Hood Gordon Hayward Trey Lyles Rudy Gobert
Opp. Season 10 6 6 4 4 Opp. Season 27 29 21 29 25
Last 3 Weeks 8 25 1 6 14 Last 3 Weeks 28 29 6 30 12

Sacramento Kings

Record: 15-23 — Road: 5-12 — Last 10: 4-6

The Kings forgot to show up until the fourth quarter last night. They tried to stage a comeback late against the Pelicans, but ended up falling short. Tonight they travel to Utah to take on the Jazz, who are one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. The Kings team total of 100.3 points may not look low, but it is actually 6.1 points lower than their average points scored per game.

With Rudy Gobert back in the lineup, we can expect the Jazz to get back to being one of the most stout defenses in the league. Even with Gobert missing some time, they are still ranked fifth in points allowed per game and second in fantasy points allowed per game. This isn’t the best matchup, but we can’t fade all the teams tonight.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins looked awful through the first three quarters of last night’s game, but came alive in the fourth. He was the sole reason that the Kings made their comeback against the Pelicans. He draws a tough matchup tonight against the Jazz, but in four games against Rudy Gobert, Cousins has averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.3 blocks/steals.

FD — $10,600 — C
DK — $10,300 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.8 | Last Five Games: 29.9
Min/Game — Season: 33.0 | Last Five Games: 35.2
FP/Game — Season: 44.7 | Last Five Games: 54.8

Rajon Rondo

There were a lot of fantasy owners that were bitter last night. Rondo arguably had the best game of any Kings’ player, yet he sat the entire fourth quarter, while Seth Curry soaked up a ton of minutes. The good news is that Rondo should be fresh for tonight’s game against the Jazz, who are also playing in the second half of a back-to-back.

FD — $8,000 — PG
DK — $8,600 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.2 | Last Five Games: 18.0
Min/Game — Season: 35.2 | Last Five Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 37.0 | Last Five Games: 41.4

Utah Jazz

Record: 17-21 — Home: 11-8 — Last 10: 5-5

The Jazz have won five of their last ten games, but are coming off of a bad loss against the Blazers in Portland last night. They have a good chance to bounce back tonight against the Kings in what will be a pace-up game for Utah. The Jazz are projected to score 102.8 points tonight, which is 6.7 points higher than their average points scored per game.

When it comes to favorable matchups, the Kings top the list. They are ranked dead last in both rebounding differential and fantasy points allowed per game this season. They also play at a fast pace. Basically, whenever a team plays the Kings, give their entire offense a sizable fantasy boost. Derrick Favors is questionable once again, but we should assume that he is going to sit until we hear otherwise. He has been questionable for three weeks now.

Elite Plays

Rodney Hood

It’s all good in the Hood. Rodney may be my favorite play at shooting guard tonight (second favorite if Jimmy Butler is able to suit up). His production has been down recently, but that is due to the bad outing against the Spurs and then the game in which he got injured. He should see minutes in the mid-30’s tonight against the Kings, who have been awful against shooting guards this season.

FD — $5,300 — SG
DK — $5,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.1 | Last Five Games: 17.7
Min/Game — Season: 30.0 | Last Five Games: 27.6
FP/Game — Season: 21.5 | Last Five Games: 22.6

Gordon Hayward

I hesitate to list Hayward as an elite play, but the price dip combined with the matchup make him a great fantasy option tonight. Hayward has seen a major usage boost with Derrick Favors out and he should see 35+ minutes tonight against the Kings, who are ranked 21st against small forwards this season.

FD — $7,300 — SF
DK — $7,200 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.6 | Last Five Games: 25.9
Min/Game — Season: 35.3 | Last Five Games: 34.6
FP/Game — Season: 30.1 | Last Five Games: 30.0

Secondary Plays

Rudy Gobert

Gobert had a bad game against the Blazers last night. The good news is that he only played 24 minutes. There is always the concern with playing guys in a back-to-back that are just coming back from injury, but Gobert should see 28-32 minutes tonight. He is a nice contrarian option for tournaments.

FD — $6,800 — C
DK — $6,100 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 10.1 | Last Five Games: 9.7
Min/Game — Season: 32.5 | Last Five Games: 24.4
FP/Game — Season: 28.0 | Last Five Games: 21.0

Trey Burke

Burke has been a boom or bust fantasy option this season, but he finds himself in a great spot tonight at home against the Kings. Sacramento has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to point guards this season.

FD — $4,600 — PG
DK — $4,900 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 21.8 | Last Five Games: 23.2
Min/Game — Season: 24.0 | Last Five Games: 23.5
FP/Game — Season: 18.6 | Last Five Games: 18.4

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About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious